Stamped Dragon Cote

This cote has been created to honor the memory of my departed household leader, Thorkel of Neville’s Cross, who passed in December of 2005.

Evidence of the creation of stamped linen cloth

from Cennini, A SECTION DEALING WITH MISCELLANEOUS INCIDENTAL OPERATIONS: FIRST, BLOCK PRINTING ON CLOTH.  Chapter CLXXIII

Cennini, Cennino d'Andrea. The Craftsman's Handbook. Dover Publications: NY. 1960.

I first experimented with pre-made stamps on scrap fabric.  I also made a stencil.  After comparing results of the stencil and the stamp, I decided I liked the look of the stamp much better.

The linen is a Procion dyed, yellow 3.5 oz weight, lined with a purchased dyed blue linen in the same weight.

The Black Dragon Company design was heat transferred from a simplified, resized, photocopy onto that brightly colored, popular, thin, craft foam with the use of the Versa-tool's design transfer tip (looks like a flat button).  If you do this, be careful to keep the tip moving so as to not melt the thin foam.

Next I used the hot knife tip to cut out the design and then I glued it to a thin wooden backing later cut, more or less, to shape.  After testing the stamp, it became clear that the design wasn't raised far enough from the backing; I cut another and repeated the test;  And again two more times to end up with 4 different patterns glued on top of one another on the wooden backing.  I was too stubborn to just buy thicker foam and start over.  Next time, I'll buy thick-ish foam right off the bat.

I poured Jacquard Textile Color, onto a plate, painted the stamp with a foam brush and pressed it evenly onto the fabric.  Repeat this about 117 times over two months and ta-dah.  If you do this, practice on scrap fabric.

The outfit just needs to hang for a bit before the final hemming.

It's been a fun project.  I'll be working with a pre-made stamp and some gold colored fabric paint to go onto a silk Byzantine tunica next.
 

Follow up

I have made a second stamped dress since this one.  It is a blue, linen sideless with stamped white acorns worn at the East Kingdom fall 2008 Crown Tourney.  I will need to get a photograph to share. 

Resources

• Linen: Fabrics Store
• Procion Fiber Reactive Dye: Dharma Trading Company
• Craft Foam, Wooden Backing, Creative Versa-tool (hot knife tip), Fabric Paint: Michaels 
   
• Faking it: copying the look of Japanese textiles with stenciling or block printing
• A discussion on the scapersian list. Many thanks to the experienced fabric stampers who offered tips for a non-Persian project.  ;-)
   

 ©2006 Apollonia Voss Last Updated: Monday, 12. January 2009
Email:ApolloniaNOSPAMvoss@comcast.net Remove the NOSPAM from the address when you email me.